


The Shield

by Valmouth



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alpha Males, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, No Sex, Pack Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-24
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2018-02-06 03:02:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1841866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valmouth/pseuds/Valmouth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Kryptonians,” Superman starts slowly, “Are very similar to humans. But there are differences. We have – did have – a more rigid… social hierarchy.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Shield

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own no rights to these characters or to the various creative universes they are derived from. I mean no offence by posting this and make no money from it.

In the end, he hears it from Lex Luthor. Which isn’t surprising, though it never fails to rouse his suspicion when Luthor trots out information on Kryptonians that no one should have access to outside of Superman’s Fortress.

But then again, everything Luthor does makes him itch between the shoulder blades.

He runs his own tests, in his own way, and a lot of things start making sense.

He hunts Superman down to monitor duty with Captain Marvel and it doesn’t take much to make Marvel leave. He’s Batman, and beneath the slabs of muscle and the wisdom of Solomon beats the heart of an eight year old. Marvel could beat him to pulp but Batman terrifies the kid.

“What’s wrong?” Superman asks, noble brow furrowing in concern, blue eyes anxious.

He scans that handsome face for minute tics and tells and comes up – as always – with nothing.

“Your reaction to Superboy,” he says abruptly, “It wasn’t because he was your clone, was it?”

Superman raises his eyebrows, looking disconcerted.

Big Blue Boy Scout, he thinks acerbically, with a face like an open book. But then Clark hides best by hiding in plain sight.

“We’ve had this discussion before. The subject is closed, Batman.”

“It was the shield, wasn’t it.”

It isn’t a question.

Superman’s confusion turns to annoyance. “That is my family shield. I never gave him permission…”

“Not quite,” Batman interrupts, “What I meant.”

The annoyance turns to blank wariness.

He waits, satisfied. It isn’t hard to lead Superman to a confidence. They’re allies in a way no one else is because they are a system of checks and balances and parallel lives. Superman, as he knows all too well, will almost always trust him with the truth. Eventually.

“Tell me,” he says, and leaves no room for choices as he folds his arms across his chest.

The strongest man in the world sighs and gestures to the chairs. “System override. Recording equipment temporarily disable, Superman A01.”

Batman doesn’t sit.

“Kryptonians,” Superman starts slowly, “Are very similar to humans. But there are differences. We have – did have – a more rigid… social hierarchy.”

“Go on.”

Superman sighs. “You had Superboy’s report on his encounter with Match. The first thing the clone did when he opened his eyes was attack.”

“Yes.”

Superman’s mouth twists a little. “That would be understandable behaviour for a young Kryptonian playing for dominance.”

The monitor beeps and the conversation is briefly derailed but it isn’t anything catastrophic. They deploy two League-members to deal with the threat and Superman is clearly not letting this conversation go now, not once he’s started.

It’s been troubling him, Batman discovers. Somewhat surprised in spite of himself.

“You have to understand, it’s a biological urge. When we’re born, we’re introduced into our hierarchies. There are processes in place to learn how to control the aggression but you learn that as a child. At least, that’s what Jor-El tells me; I’ve never actually seen it, obviously.”

“What do you mean by biological?”

“We are – were – a highly evolved race with great technological achievements but we were human. Well, living beings. I suppose the closest description is the pack instinct. There is a pack leader, and then there is the pack.”

“And your shield declares anyone as part of your pack,” Batman surmises.

Superman winces. “Yes and no. Humans are different. A kryptonian wearing my family shield is part of my pack.”

“Go on.”

“There’s nothing more to say. My instinct is to assert my dominance.” Superman runs a hand through his hair, that one unruly curl straightening with the tug and then dropping back into position. “Superboy is younger, and he knows his strength is no match for mine. He slips into submission instinctively. Maybe he doesn’t even feel it as strongly as I do.”

“But the Match clone,” Batman meditates, “Burned the shield into his chest.”

Superman shifts uncomfortably. “I’d like to say that was just him being unstable but this probably didn’t help.”

He knows. And it still leaves them with a problem.

“What happens when Superboy doesn’t feel like being submissive?”

“Well, according to Kryptonian law, he is welcome to challenge me for control of the pack.”

“I see.”

Superman cocks his head suddenly. “You know,” he say, voice lowering, “It doesn’t work with humans. You’re a case in point.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re physically weaker than I am, Batman. I don’t doubt you’d make me fight for it but I have the advantage. But I have never tried to dominate you.”

“I’ve never let you,” Batman points out dryly.

Superman chuckles, the sound warm and fond. “That’s true.”

“Superboy should know this. And I want to know the training techniques for controlling this behaviour. You had both better start practising.”

“You’re joking, right?”

Batman raises an eyebrow. “In a year, Superman, we’ve run into more clones of you than I like. I do not intend to see you three start a war. And if I know Luthor, this is a potential vulnerability he will exploit.”

“Luthor knows?”

“How do you think I found out?”

Superman frowns unhappily. “I don’t like that. I wouldn’t put it past him to use the knowledge for his own gain. At the very least, he’ll use it to prove that I can’t be trusted.”

“At the very least,” Batman growls, “He’ll use it to keep the most powerful member of the League busy while the rest of us try to stop you from killing your clones. Leaving him a period of time in which to accomplish whatever it is he wants.”

“I wouldn’t kill them!”

“We don’t yet know the extent of your instincts when they’re aroused.”

Superman scowls and mutters something.

Batman doesn’t smile. “I can read lips.”

Superman rolls his eyes. “Fine. I’ll get you information on the control techniques. You… deal with Superboy.”

“It may work best with someone who understands the urge.”

“It may work better with someone who doesn’t want to pull the kid’s head off. Why do you think I’m staying away? He’s still figuring things out, and I don’t want to confuse him any more than he is.”

“The neglect of his only parent is only making things worse.”

“His alpha,” Superman stresses, “And right now, that’s you.”

“Alpha?”

“Closest translation.”

There’s very little more to say about it. Superman goes back to monitor duty, humble and alert as he always is, and Batman goes out to find Marvel, meditating on how a beautiful mask can hide an unwitting greed for power.

The tragedy is that he believes Superman. It’s exactly the kind of thing Clark would do – stay away because he thinks he can’t control himself. Noble self-sacrifice on the altar of principles.

“It’s interesting,” he says before he leaves, “You compared the phenomenon to pack instinct. The boy has a wolf he asserted his dominance over. He also has a sentient sphere from New Genesis. In your absence, he’s creating his own pack.”

Superman’s shoulders hunch, but he says nothing.

Batman goes out, turning the information over in his brain.


End file.
